by Herman Koch
First published 2009
Tensions simmer as two couples meet for a seemingly innocuous dinner. But beneath the polite conversation, a terrible secret hangs in the air – their teenage sons have committed a horrific crime. As the evening progresses, the facade of civility crumbles, and each parent must confront how far they'll go to protect their child.
Genres: fiction, drama, crime, contemporary, mystery-thriller, family-drama
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: moral-ambiguity, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Period: 21st-century
311 pages · Paperback · Atlantic Books
Content warnings: child-death, violence